Bus Safety Rules

Dear Parents,

As you know, we take safety and security very seriously, so we would like to review the district Student Code of Conduct as it applies to transportation. Keep in mind that while specific items are listed under the code of conduct as it applies to our expectations on the bus, students are expected to follow all school rules at all times to and from school since the bus is an extension of the classroom.

The following is an excerpt from the Dearborn Public School Student Code of conduct which can be found in its entirety at https://studentservices.dearbornschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/178/2013/07/blog-documents.pdf

J. BUS TRANSPORTATION The school bus is an extension of the classroom and any infraction of the Student Code of Conduct on the bus will be handled by the building administrator. The rules apply to district owned vehicles as well as any such contracted transportation. For health and safety reasons, video camera surveillance will be utilized on school buses. Any student behavior that affects the health or safety of other students on and around the bus will be treated as a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will be subject to disciplinary action. While on board any school bus, all provisions of the Student Code of Conduct will apply to all passengers. The following is a supplementary list of violations of the bus rules:

1. Failing to stay off the road while waiting for the bus
2. Attempting to enter or exit the bus before it reaches a complete stop
3. Failing to remain seated while the bus is in motion
4. Eating or littering on the bus
5. Having head, arms, or any other items outside bus
6. Tampering with bus equipment
7. Disobeying driver instruction (insubordination)
8. Obstructing aisle with books, coats, and other objects
9. Throwing objects in and out of the bus.
(End of excerpt)

Our discussions with students regarding our PBIS expectations are specific to classroom behavior and also extend to what we refer to as “everywhere expectations”. Our expectations fall under three broad categories: Respect, Responsibility, and Safety, and these expectations also apply on the bus. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Walk on and off the bus- No running
2. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
3. Be Respectful-Treat others with respect at all times.
4. Be Responsible-clean up after yourself.
5. Be Safe- Remain seated on the bus, and follow all safety expectations for riding the bus.
6. Follow directions from the bus driver.
Students who consistently disobey these expectations, will lose bus riding privileges as part of the disciplinary process.

Parents are not allowed to enter the bus for any reason since this is an extension of our school/classroom. All parents are required to sign in before entering our school; all parents are required to sign in to the office and must have express permission to enter a district vehicle (i.e. field trip) from the principal or appropriate school administrator.

Thank you for your support and cooperation. If we work together, we can all help keep our students safe!

Sincerely,

Daniel Blessing, Ed.S
Principal, Howard Elementary School

Safety Precaution

Dear Howard Learning Community,

Every day, all of us here at Howard work to make sure our school is a safe place for your children. We practice how to exit the building in case of a fire and where to go in the building in case of a bad storm. As part of that ongoing effort to keep our school safe, and to make sure you have accurate facts, I wanted to share with you information regarding actions we took this morning to ensure the safety of our students.

This morning, we were informed about a police situation at a business on Telegraph road.  As a precaution, all students remained inside for the morning.  All outside doors were checked to make sure they were locked which is part of our standard operating procedure once the school day starts.

I want to make it clear that at no time were any students or staff in danger. The actions we took were precautionary and done to maintain a safe school environment.  We have a great partnership with the Dearborn Police and they would have contacted us directly if they felt the situation posed any type of security threat for our school.

At Howard Elementary we take great pride in the academic achievement of our students, the professionalism of staff, and our ability to work together as a community to maintain a safe and orderly school environment.  By keeping an open line of communication we can ensure that our students will remain safe at school.

Sincerely,

Daniel Blessing, Ed.S

Principal

Howard Elementary School

Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

 Parents, please go over these arrival and dismissal procedures with your children.  Teachers will line up the students in the front of the building at 8:25 and will take the students in when the bell rings at 8:35.  Parents will not be entering with students during arrival. Please give our teachers the opportunity to establish this procedure with our students. 

  • Parents please read the parking and traffic flow document attached on this blog to help keep our students safe  during arrival and dismissal.
  • Help us reduce traffic congestion by car-pooling, and or dropping students of at nearby safe locations. Also, please consider having students walk in groups with an adult or two. Always use the crosswalks for safety.
  • Please do not drop students off until 8:25- there is no supervision outside until this time.  Students who walk should also plan to arrive no sooner than 8:25
  • Upon arrival students will line up at their designated line.
  • On the first day, all staff will be outside at 8:25 to direct students to their teacher and line up area. (After the first day, teachers will meet their students at 8:30)
  • Arrival time is not recess, so students must go directly to their line when they arrive.
  • Those who want to play before school should do so at the park (not on school property) under parental supervision prior to arriving at school.  Please ensure the children are in their designated lines on time.
  • For safety reasons, we do not allow any kind of ball throwing, running,  or sports during arrival.
  • During arrival and dismissal, student back packs must remain on their backs.  Do not swing backpacks around or place them on the ground.

Dismissal is at 3:35

  • Teachers will walk all students to the doors for dismissal.  Students are expected to:
  • Walk directly home at this time if they are walking home.
  • Go directly to the bus lines if the are taking the bus.  (Our teachers will be supervising this  on Tuesday, and will continue to supervise throughout the year)
  • Go directly to the student pick up location if they are waiting for their parent to pick them up in a vehicle.
  • Students should report to the office if their parent does not pick them up when expected.
  • Older siblings who are Howard students and are walking home/meeting  their younger sibling, must meet them outside since all teachers are walking their students out of the building.

Again, for safety reasons, there will not be any sports, or running during dismissal on school property.

 

Thank you!

 

Enrollment and Class Size

 

Dear Howard Learning Community,

Over the past two weeks, we have seen a steady increase in the enrollments at Howard Elementary School.  This has caused some of our grade levels to approach the capacity limit.  Our district central office personnel are aware of the class sizes and will be monitoring our numbers to see if we can bring in additional teachers to these grade levels. If we continue to enroll more students, we most certainly will need additional staff.  Currently, our fourth and fifth grade classes have higher enrollments than the other grades.  

The addition of a classroom teacher could cause your student’s current placement to change, and this is one of the reasons that we stress the  importance of remaining open-minded about your child’s placement as we focus on the best placement for all students at all grade levels.  

However, having another teacher come into a grade level will always decrease the class size and allow for more one-on-one instruction and small group utilization. We will continue to monitor the increasing enrollment at Howard and inform the community when and if we need to make changes.  

This challenge is not unique to Howard, as many other schools in our district are experiencing increasing enrollment.  This is a natural occurrence in a community that is thriving and growing!

As always, Howard teachers work in collaboration with one another, work daily in small groups, confer one on one with your student, and build a classroom culture that makes all students feel comfortable and excited about their education.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

 

Sincerely,

Daniel Blessing, Ed.S

Principal, Howard Elementary School

 

Arrival/Dismissal Traffic Safety and Parking Information

Safety is everyone’s responsibility! Please help keep our children safe!

Please exercise and model positive behavior during arrival and dismissal.  A little patience will go a long way.  If everyone follows our basic traffic flow guidelines, local ordinances and traffic laws,  it will help us to have a smooth and safe arrival and dismissal.

Please click on the link to to view a map with traffic and parking guidelines and expectations to help keep our students safe!

We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to school next week!

Thank you!

Please click on the following link for a map and details regarding arrival and dismissal:

Howard Parking and Traffic Flow

Class Lists

Good Afternoon,

Class lists will be posted on the front doors at noon on Friday, September 1st.  The building will be closed tomorrow.

If you need to register, you may do so at the Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette, Dearborn.

Have a Good Weekend!

 

NOTICE: School Safety Zone Enforcement

Download the Signed School Zone Safety letter  to see fines and other traffic violations police will be enforcing.

Ensuring the safety of all students is a paramount objective of both the Dearborn Public Schools and the Dearborn Police Department. An area of common complaints and concern is traffic related issues in school zones during student drop off and pick up. Motorists often create unsafe conditions for students by blocking roadways, speeding, and improper parking. As in previous years, the Dearborn Police Department will be conducting directed traffic enforcement in the school zones.  Please be careful and obey all traffic laws.  This includes double parking, blocking driveways, failure to completely stop at a stop sign, failure to yield to a bus or pedestrians, disobey a school crossing guard, and other traffic infractions.

Please keep in mind:

  • The bus stop is for buses only
  • Walk children to school when possible
  • Drop off/pick up children a short distance away from school when possible.  This alleviates traffic congestion around our schools
  • Once your child is out of the car and safely on the sidewalk vacate the area to make room for other parents to drop off their children.
  • Be mindful of school staff and crossing guards.  They are there for your child’s safety.
  • Be a “Good Neighbor” by being mindful of residents who live near school zones.

Download the Signed School Zone Safety letter  to see fines and other traffic violations police will be enforcing.

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